Travel Blog Posts
March 22nd 2009
Conclusions … I’ll leave out the photos and make the conclusion much easier to get through than the great African novel of the last update… So leaving off somewhere around the other side of Arusha, direct sunlight streaming through the barely ajar window, a phone call and numerous texts between Canada and myself as I ventured a surprise visit back to Moshi only to hear news of Oti Otise and an accident with thus far sketchy details. Pro & The Hack Game Oti Otise, star professional, ten years pro league Costa Rica took a tumble for the worst. Having recently retired his time amongst pro ranks, it didn’t take too much coaxing from friends to give a little street game close to the house a shot in some late Friday afternoon fun. Sure enough, the difference ... read more
March 5th 2009
Short but not Sweet February I suppose I should explain the lack of communicado since early January. The truth of the matter is there really wasn’t anything I could write about… I spent most of my waking hours battling through the oversized document for the women’s group which was to be sent out for grant applications to various organisations. The four walls of the dining room became my prison, starved of much natural light. So much time in front of a laptop caused me to hallucinate; a budding termite nest on the wooden floor by the bed became a predatory African killer I had to keep an eye on preventing a much needed proper sleep. I really don’t feel like going to far into detail about the goings on at the orphanage. Let it suffice to ... read more
January 14th 2009
Hospital Guts Canada and I have had an interesting start to the year. Particularly Canada - I was just along mainly as support crew and to lend the occasional joke in order to take her mind away from current procedures. Having surgery whether minor or major can be nerve-racking and terrifying enough, leave alone when you take the plunge in a foreign country. Some crazy kids like my old mate Kirra Bloke (not his real name; come on do you really think his parents are that cruel) aren’t really given a choice in the matter. They have to give up every ounce of their faith to higher powers and surrender to those expert opinions and skill of those not necessarily speaking their language. Kirra Bloke still resides in Indo after the shock of a lifetime ... read more
Christmas, New Year & Never Drinking Again
Published: January 5th 2009Africa » Tanzania » East » Dar es Salaam
January 2nd 2009
Gotta get Out of this Place I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of Moshi. The last few weeks have drained every ounce of motivation, enthusiasm and energy I had possessed only a few months before. Burnout had arrived on the red carpet and I was not particularly interested in the premier screening one bit. Burning the midnight oil had finally taken its toll and more likely than not, it was visible through the pack-a-day habit coupled with an increasingly short fuse that had the capacity to blow twice a day minimum. The week leading up to our time away could not have arrived any slower. I was more than ready to throw my phone out the door (again) and the laptop into the bushes. Canada, Mwindi & I having spent the weekend dedicated to ... read more
December 6th 2008
December Birthdays Nine months before December, February’s Valentines Day must have been especially romantic for many couples worldwide. Either this, complete boredom or particularly cold nights (well, if you are from the USA, Canada or Europe) could account for the overwhelming number of people I share my birth month with. And there are A LOT of us, almost one each day of the blessed month. We kick started the last month of the year, and generally the most celebrated around the world as Christmas festivities and plans for the New Year are underway. Gift purchasing, tree decorating and pre-celebration drinking sessions in abundance for some, whilst for others including myself and Canada, it wasn’t the time so much for giving as the time for end of year deadlines and a much anticipated moving of house. ... read more
December 1st 2008
World Aids Day For most organisations around the globe the recognition of World Aids Day might have meant an increase in voluntary testing vehicles reaching circle usually outside the sphere. It may have also meant heartfelt speeches bringing a tear to ones eye, the silent parades around up and down main streets for all those lost before and to save those not yet in its grasp. For other organisations it might have been a more street counselling approach defying authorities in culturally tight countries by handing out condoms, testing kits and safe sex information. Yeah - those devils right, what are they thinking? For me, it was the day the organisation pulled its support from the orphanage. What a damn day to choose right, exactly my sentiments. Having three HIV positive kids in the midst, ... read more
November 13th 2008
Hectic Daze For those back home sending emails of grief about my incredible lack of communicado, you're about to feel very very bad... ah well, please don't it's ok. We all know I have a slackness with responding to online requests. It's so impersonal, I would much rather write a letter... not that I've had the time to do that either. But I have a pretty good reason to back up my slackness. And it doesn't all involve early morning finishes at the local drinking hole, although there have may some indulgence on occasion. There has also been many other community activities needing my involvement ... and my liver (See Oktoberfest 2008). Almost a month ago, I commenced involvement with another organisation to whom I originally pledged one day of work a week until after ... read more
November 1st 2008
Beer is a Community Service The idea of free beer is enough to make any Australian drool.... any real Australian that is. I was no exception. The flipside to the coin being dressed as a Heidi look alike from the days of pre 1935 Germany (minus the plaits) didn't do too much to deter me from volunteering for the much anticipated beer festival Oktoberfest, being held at Glacier, home to one of the biggest beer gardens I have ever seen. And so, dragging Canada along for the ride (more often than not, my partner in crime), off we went early morning, dressed like merry fools to serve, drink and be all around festive. Unfortunately, we were also sporting two respectively nasty hangovers from the previous evenings 'whetting of the whistle'. It was approximately a 3am ... read more
1/3 of the way up the mountain
Published: October 24th 2008Africa » Tanzania » North » Mount Kilimanjaro
October 17th 2008
Mount Kilimanjaro Most mornings or afternoons, I'm blessed with the glacier views of Mount Kilimanjaro, be it from my driveway, outside the orphanage or walking back from the soccer pitch. During the day she tends to hide behind clouds, everso shy like the most modest of women. At 5,895 meters (19,340 ft), in elevation, I was 1/3 the way up the mountain whilst based in the village of S*** today. And that, my friends is as far up Kilimanjaro I intend to get. Back to S***... Early Starts For the past week, I have worked my backside off. Meeting after meeting seems to run into each other and often cancel each other out due to late starts, lunch breaks, differences in understanding of time. What I am told is a meeting at 2 turns out to ... read more
October 4th 2008
With a nasty Konyagi (African mixture of gin, rum, metho & lime) hangover from the previous nights outing, I got myself out of bed at a reasonable hour and back out into the October blazing hot sun. The previous day I had heard rumours of a rugby tournament being played at the International School of Moshi. A couple of Kenyan friends currently working in Tanzania are also rugby fans, one having played for Kenya in a previous life and although not too happy about the early start due to an incredibly late finish, were dragged along for the ride. The game was due to start around 10am and we arrived around 11.30am. As expected, the first round of the tournament was just kicking off. At this point, it would be a worthwhile exercise for me to ... read more
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